The invention relates to a system for producing printed products.
Systems of the aforementioned type, for example, book binding lines, assembly lines for inserting the book blocks into the book covers, systems for producing wire-stitched magazines, brochures or the like with the aid of gathering and wire-stitching machines, as well as systems for producing ready for shipment newspapers in a mail room, primarily consist of machines provided with several processing stations for processing the printed products in a process series. For the book binding line, these machines in particular include a gathering machine, a transfer device, an adhesive binder, a removal system, a distribution guide, a separating saw, a three-knife trimmer, a counting stacker, a foil-laminating machine and a palletizer.
Sequentially aligned signature feeding devices, gathering machines with signature feeders as processing stations, a wire-stitching machine and a cutting machine are jointly used for the production of wire-stitched magazines.
For newspaper production, the printing press is followed by machines capable of processing printed products ready for shipping, for example, machines with processing stations or an insertion machine with feeders for feeding intermediate or initial products and/or supplements from a pull-off station to a main product. The machines further convey the printed product, produced in this way, to stacking devices and addressing, foil-laminating or hoop-casing machines.
Suitably trained operators are required for operating these machines and for making corrections. For example, the speed must be changed or axes must be adjusted with an electrical actuator. In particular, actuators must be adjusted positively or negatively for optimization or correction, as in, for example, an axis being moved to a limit stop or being initialized or positioned in accordance with a specific value. For corrections and optimizations of this type, each machine is respectively provided with several input devices, comprising a keyboard for entering the changes and a display unit for displaying operating states and error messages. If a correction must be made at a processing station, for example, a back cutter, then the operator authorized to perform this task enters corresponding correction commands at the input device that is fixedly assigned to the processing station. The commands are transmitted to the control unit, which adjusts the electrical actuators.
In practical operations, systems of this type have long proven successful. However, complex systems, for example, book binding lines with several processing stations, are comparatively expensive and involved. Thus, the need for simplifying the configuration and operation of these lines has existed for some time.